Hello again TSP forum! And hello to region four folks!
So sorry to post looking for others in my area and then disappear for a bit, we made the final move to our new place a week or so after I started this thread, and still (in late September) haven't got wifi at the new place setup. It's on "the list"!
Glad to know there's a few folks nearby. Thanks for the links to nearby groups!
As painful as it is to admit it I'm still stuck here in IL. I'd be up for a meet-up at some point! Haven't found one other like-minded person in the Chicagoland area...
I've been working on creating like minded people in my main area of operations...slow going with some, but one benefit of being here is that everyone is dissatisfied, the trick is to help them figure out the real cause of their worries (ie government as a whole, not just the Blue team/red team that they blame).
Family and I are unfortunately still on the outskirts of Cook County.
Spent the last 2 years getting as debt free as possible.
Probably going to be stuck here until we are no longer underwater on our condo (anywhere from 1-5 years depending on what the housing market does and how much extra I put into principal every month).
I know what you mean... I'll probably be here a good while, as my parents are getting older and well rooted (early 70s and low finances for moving), my wife's parents are rather deep rooted here (in their 60's with little motivation to move), my wife's grandmother is in a very nice retirement community and has a package arrangement that means she's paid up for the next 10 years, my wife's other grandparents are in Chicagoland, but may move downstate to be closer to family as they age (mid 80's now)... oh yeah, and my wife has the "straight" job while I'm trying to get the farm going.
In epsiode 1353 of TSPC (the permaethos launch episode), Jack mentioned that we as a community are rebuilding society
before it collapses. Since IL is at the leading edge of the collapse, I feel at times that those of us that are still here have a significant need to rebuild faster than those in Texas for example. That being said, if I could snap a finger and have my whole family, my wife's family and others that I care about transported to a free-er state.... I probably would.
I suppose in the end it's rather simple. The grass is always greener.... but the best way we can green up the grass on our side of the fence is to build the soil.
